2 Jul (NucNet): State-owned Czech utility CEZ today received three bids to develop and deliver two nuclear reactor units for the Temelín nuclear power plant, the company said.
Westinghouse Electric confirmed this morning it had submitted a bid to build two AP1000 nuclear reactor units on the Temelin site. The other bids came from France’s Areva with its European Pressurised Water Reactor (EPR1600), and a consortium comprising Skoda, Atomstroyexport and Gidropress with the MIR (Modernised International Reactor) 1200 unit.
CEZ chief executive officer Daniel Benes said completion of the Temelin plant – which houses two units but was originally earmarked for four – is “a key pillar” of CEZ’s strategy so “we are glad that we have three offers from the world's leading suppliers of nuclear technology”.
Westinghouse said it is confident of meeting the “design, supply, construction, licensing and project criteria” established by CEZ for the completion of the Temelin project.
According to Westinghouse interim president and CEO Shigenori Shiga, the offer “meets or exceeds all mandatory requirements established in the Temelín tender to provide ČEZ with the most economically advantageous proposal”.
Westinghouse said it had formed a team including Czech construction company Metrostav and Czech nuclear safety instrumentation and control company I&C Energo. The Westinghouse/Czech team will continue to add local partners in the coming weeks and months, the company said.
Contracts for 10 AP1000 reactors have been placed around the world: four in China and six in the US, Westinghouse said.
The Czech Republic has six commercially operational reactor units: four VVER-440 units at the Dukovany plant and two VVER-1000 units at Temelin. Temelin-1 began commercial operation in June 2002 and Temelin-2 in April 2003.
